The Duel Begins
Her breath came in ragged gasps.
It was the early morning, just as the sun had begun to rise.
Tang Soyeong was running laps around the training yard, drenched in sweat.
"Don’t stop—keep going! You’re almost done!"
Tang So-gang was shouting encouragement as he watched his younger sister.
Tang So-gang, you bastard!
Of course, Soyeong could only glare at him like he was her sworn enemy.
But if you wanted to know how things had come to this, you had to go back to the day she first met Tang So-gang.
***
Tang So-gang, having recognized Soyeong’s talent, decided to teach her.
There was no jealousy in him.
Jealousy only rose when there was a proper measure to it.
From the start, Tang So-gang was not the sort of petty man who would feel envious of a younger sibling’s talent.
"Hard as it is to believe, if you’ve got talent like that, you might actually be able to beat So-seol."
"Right? This is a deal that costs you nothing."
If he taught her and she won, that was a windfall. If not, well, that was the end of it.
In the first place, no one hoping for this duel thought Soyeong would beat Tang So-seol.
Lose and it was no big deal. Win and it was a jackpot.
Wasn’t that what a bet with nothing to lose looked like?
Even Tang So-gang, whose brain was apparently made entirely of muscle, seemed to understand that much.
"But there’s a problem."
"...What?"
"Your body."
Tang So-gang pointed at Soyeong as he spoke.
His finger went first to her ankles.
"Your thighs are thick, but your ankles are absurdly thin. The way you’re built, you won’t be able to control rough movement properly."
Then he moved to her pelvis.
"Your hips are wide, and they sit too high. Your lower body is too long compared to your upper body. That makes it hard to keep your balance."
Then to her waist.
"And your waist is too narrow. You won’t be able to put real force behind your movements."
Then to her chest.
"The upper body is a mess too. Your breasts are too big, your shoulders aren’t broad enough, your waist is thin, your chest is large, and your arms are ridiculously slender."
Tang So-gang delivered his overall assessment.
"Maybe you should just get married? Men would probably like a body like that."
"...Shut up."
Soyeong spat the insult out in a disgusted tone.
But she couldn’t refute him.
She knew better than anyone else that it was true.
This body was not suited to learning martial arts.
If you wanted the ideal physique for martial training, you needed short legs, long arms, a long upper body so balance came naturally, and a body that ran straight from breasts to waist to hips like a single seamless line.
In other words, the worse your proportions were, the better.
Even in her past life, the people who had any real talent usually had bodies like that.
"One of the Tang Clan’s inherent weaknesses. This body type isn’t good for learning martial arts."
Tang So-gang nodded as he said it.
Soyeong let out a dry laugh.
Calling being born beautiful and handsome a flaw—what a lunatic.
Tang So-gang was a lunatic.
A lunatic obsessed with martial arts.
If someone told him they could transform her into a short-limbed, top-heavy body that was perfect for martial training, he’d probably agree without a second thought.
Tang So-gang looked at his younger sister with genuine pity, seeing her born into a body that was supposedly bad for martial arts.
"No choice. Your physique is terrible. In that case, you’ll have to build up your stamina at least."
"Ah... that part I can handle m—"
"How would you even know how to train stamina by yourself?"
Tang So-gang cut her off and said it flatly.
Soyeong swallowed a sigh.
As if I wouldn’t know how to train my own stamina.
After all, in her past life she had risen all the way to the position of leader of the Sapa Sect.
But saying something like, “I’ll handle it myself,” would not work here.
"Don’t get any clever ideas. Be here in front of the training yard at dawn tomorrow."
Tang So-gang said, staring straight at Soyeong.
If Soyeong said she’d handle it herself, it would only sound like she was trying to dodge training because she didn’t want to work hard.
And that would ruin all the goodwill Tang So-gang had toward her.
Soyeong had no choice but to exhale and answer,
"...Got it."
"Good. Then we start tomorrow!"
***
And so, back to the present.
"Good work! Your stamina’s improved a lot compared to a week ago."
"...Shut up."
Lying collapsed on the training ground, Soyeong cursed at Tang So-gang.
It would’ve been stranger if her stamina hadn’t improved after doing nothing but endurance training for a whole week.
But Soyeong also knew the process wasn’t wrong, so even while swearing, she followed along obediently.
She’s not only talented—she’s got the will to back it up.
Tang So-gang liked that.
Though only half their blood was shared, Soyeong suited him better than even his full-blooded older sister.
The Tang Clan was a house renowned for poison.
That was why its secret martial arts were poison arts as well, and why it tended to value internal cultivation more highly than external training.
I don’t like that.
Tang So-gang didn’t like that at all.
Poison was certainly useful, but it would never let a person reach the apex of martial power.
That was why Tang So-gang had chosen the hidden blade.
There was no grand reason for it.
It was simply the only secret art in the Tang Clan that truly emphasized external training.
"Even if it’s hard, you need to endure it. The foundation of every martial art is stamina in the end."
"...I know."
At Tang So-gang’s nagging, Soyeong answered with her breath coming hard.
Her words were short as ever, and her gaze was fierce.
But Tang So-gang could tell she genuinely agreed with him.
In the Tang Clan, she was the first person who had ever thought the same way he did.
She even had talent.
"If I’d known, I should’ve talked to you sooner."
Tang So-gang meant it.
Maybe he could have gotten a little sister who suited him far earlier.
"...If you’d tried talking to me back then, we probably wouldn’t have gotten along."
Soyeong was sincere.
If Tang So-gang had shown interest in her too early, their relationship might actually have gone bad.
Back then, before her past self had possessed this body, things would have been different.
Tang So-gang took her answer as typical sibling snappishness and let it slide.
"Waking up at dawn and running a hundred laps around the training yard. Your basic stamina’s in place now."
"...I feel like I’m dying, though."
"That’s enough. It’s what you need before learning the basic techniques."
From Tang So-gang’s point of view, Soyeong had finally reached the passing mark.
She was worlds apart from the first time he’d met her, when her legs had been trembling like a toddler’s.
"But there are only three days left... That’s far too little time."
Tang So-gang scratched his head, looking troubled.
Even with Soyeong’s talent for copying the forms she caught a glimpse of, time was simply too short.
The basic techniques weren’t about learning and reproducing them alone.
When to use them, under what circumstances, and for what purpose mattered even more.
In other words, there wasn’t enough time to build experience.
"Enough talking. Just teach me."
Of course, Soyeong had no reason to worry about that.
At her blunt words, Tang So-gang smirked and replied,
"Honestly, the way you speak to your brother..."
"Why? Want to hear me call you something nicer?"
"If I did, would you?"
"Why would I?"
"Figured as much."
At Soyeong’s sharp reply, Tang So-gang’s mouth twitched with a faint smile.
With only older sisters in his life, having a younger sister felt fresh beyond measure.
Well, inside that younger sister was a hundred-year-old man who’d lived through countless storms.
Sometimes, not knowing was the kinder fate.
"First I’ll teach you the stance of the basic technique. I’ll explain the mental method after we’re done. Memorize as much as you can."
At Tang So-gang’s words, Soyeong’s eyes grew sharp.
At last. She was going to learn the Tang Clan’s basic art.
The corners of her mouth slowly began to rise.
Now I can beat people senseless with martial arts without anyone complaining.
Soyeong was absurdly pleased by that fact.
***
Time passed, and the day of the duel arrived.
Countless people had gathered in the enormous duel arena at the heart of the Tang Clan.
The phrase “a sea of people” had surely been made for moments like this.
"Looks like everyone in the Tang Clan has come,"
Ga-ryeong, who had followed Soyeong here as her dedicated maid for the duel, said in a trembling voice.
Soyeong answered her with a dry look.
"The first wife would want it as flashy as possible."
"M-my lady... are you really all right? E-even now, if you want to—"
"Ga-ryeong, trust the young lady."
So Jin-ha, standing nearby, stopped Ga-ryeong from spiraling further into worry.
"But if it looks dangerous, please give up right away. We won’t change masters over something like that."
"O-of course! That’s right! I’m on the young lady’s side for life!"
Ga-ryeong seemed to be thinking something slightly different, though.
Soyeong looked at her with coolly lidded eyes.
Maybe because she felt guilty, Ga-ryeong darted her gaze away.
Well, the fear hadn’t completely vanished yet, so she probably wouldn’t betray her immediately.
As for So Jin-ha... well, he only cared about her body’s poison resistance in the first place, so he was a separate matter.
"There’s no need to worry."
At Soyeong’s words, both of them listened intently.
"I’m winning anyway."
A victory declaration drenched in arrogance.
But both Ga-ryeong and Jin-ha felt a strange sense of trust in those words.
There was no way a mere second-class martial artist like Soyeong could defeat Tang So-seol, who had already crossed the wall into first-class territory.
And yet, somewhere deep in their minds, the thought remained that if it was Soyeong, maybe she could.
"You should head to the duel arena now."
The handmaiden waiting outside the room spoke softly.
Soyeong shifted her gaze and looked at Ga-ryeong and Jin-ha.
Both were tense, though if you looked closely Jin-ha seemed less so, and yet they were clearly trusting her.
That was enough.
Soyeong smiled at them and said,
"I’ll be back."
"Please come back safely!"
"Please return."
Soyeong walked out and headed for the duel arena.
Tang So-seol was already standing atop the platform.
Her face was stiff and hard.
She’s nervous.
That realization was so entertaining that Soyeong couldn’t help but smile a little.
With all the spectators and the pressure of the duel bearing down on her, she probably didn’t even have the luxury of looking around.
Soyeong did have that luxury.
As she swept her gaze across the crowd, a few people stood out clearly amid the sea of faces.
People seated high up in chairs, watching the duel from above.
They were probably the elders, or the powerful figures of the clan.
And among them, one man stood out in particular.
...So that’s him.
A man radiating tyrannical presence, faintly exuding a strength greater than anyone else in the arena.
Just being in the same space as him seemed to make the air heavier.
The current world’s Ten Great Masters, the lord of the Tang Clan.
The Tang Clan Lord.
Tang Cheon-ak.
...Is he looking at me?
Tang Cheon-ak’s indifferent eyes were clearly directed at Soyeong.
Soyeong had a talent for reading people’s desires, but the Clan Lord’s desires were not so easily grasped.
Well, that doesn’t matter right now.
Soyeong decided to ignore it.
Whoever the Clan Lord was, the only thing that mattered now was the duel.
Since she was at it, she smiled brightly and called out to Tang So-seol.
"Nervous?"
"As if... Nervousness is for the lowly, not me. You’re the one who must be trembling."
At Soyeong’s words, Tang So-seol answered sharply.
Her whole body was practically broadcasting how tense she was.
How adorable.
"Calling me lowly doesn’t seem like the smartest choice."
"What are you talking about?"
"Even if my half of the bloodline is lowly, fine. But saying that here makes it sound like the other half is lowly too."
At those words, Tang So-seol looked alarmed and quickly shifted her gaze toward the Clan Lord.
The Clan Lord’s expression remained as indifferent as ever, but the first wife beside him was another story.
Her finely powdered face twisted in a flash of fury.
Seeing that, Tang So-seol went pale.
I won.
At that point, Soyeong was certain of victory.
There was nothing easier than an opponent who had already lost their composure.
Tang So-seol glared at Soyeong, grinding her teeth.
"This is all because of you...!"
Soyeong only answered with a faint, vicious smile.
That calm expression only made Tang So-seol even angrier.
She looked like she wanted to smash that smug face right then and there.
"Begin!"
Tang So-seol snapped at the Tang Clan martial artist who had come up to referee the duel.
The martial artist flinched slightly before speaking.
"...This duel will continue until one side admits defeat, or until I stop it. Do you agree?"
"Yeah."
Tang So-seol agreed, and Soyeong nodded in response.
Unless Soyeong herself admitted defeat with her own mouth, the referee would probably never step in.
Anyone could see that the referee was on the first wife’s side.
But that would only work against them in the end.
Because I’m going to win this duel.
"Then both sides, prepare yourselves!"
The referee extended his hand and shouted the start.
"Begin the duel!"